students - THE RECORD

Come Together: Fighting the ‘Purification’ of Antioch

Come Together: Fighting the ‘Purification’ of Antioch By Jeanne Kay

An open letter to the community (that includes you, Steve)

Purity is the opposite of integrity—the cruelest thing you can do to a person is make her ashamed of her own complexity. The stories of our lives have no morals.

–Excerpt from Fighting for our lives, CWC.

Two issues are prevalent on the campus political agenda this fall: President Lawry’s would be coup d’etat over community governance and its bundle of repercussions (censorship of the Record, growing risk of expulsion…) and the seemingly unbridgeable gap between first and third/fourth years. And the more I think about it, the more I believe that those two are linked. If we newcomers feel estranged from the upperclassmen, it may not be our supposed puerility that’s to blame but our assumed inability to recognize the gravity of that first matter. “Our Antioch is fading away!�? seems to be their leitmotiv, but what can we say after less than two months on campus? Can we even all it ‘our’ Antioch? On what grounds can we join the ranks of old-time Antiochians fighting for the integrity of their alma mater? We cannot root our commitment to a bond to an idyllic past, but we certainly know and care about the Antioch we applied to.

Now because of our relative inexperience of the old Antioch spirit as cherished by the old-timers, we first years might ask what all the fuss is about. We might see it as an exaggeration, a mere case of ‘good-old days’ syndrome, and detach ourselves from the struggle for the preservation of Antioch’s identity. I am writing now so that this does not happen. From the perspective I’ve developed after having sat with Steve Lawry at the Monday 10/2 lunch and the Thursday 10/5 breakfast, read his response to Daniel Solis’ intelligent open letter on Pulse, and listened to third and fourth years talking about their growing frustration and disillusionment at Antioch’s culture shift, I can only conclude that President Lawry’s controversial decisions of the past month have not been a series of spontaneous oppressive interventions in mere reaction to a chain of events but a carefully planned out attempt to make an authoritative stand. He is clearly set upon changing the Antioch culture and has been taking advantage of this start of term’s “incidents�? to make it clear to the community that the intended power shift is on the march.

On ideological, personal, emotional levels, we have every reason to rise against the takeover endeavor. The mere idea that our culture of idealism is being threatened on the pretext of economic efficiency—however badly we might need it—should be enough to infuriate any of us. But does this intended cleansing of the campus radicalism even make sense on a pragmatic level? If I think about it, Antioch’s reputation of radicalism is the very reason why I came here. Politics and freedom, especially to the most extremist levels, are why I chose Antioch over any other place in the world. And if those are taken away, what’s left? State of the art facilities? A wide-ranging curriculum? An exhilarating social scene? Or just the overall excitement of living under Ohio skies? Frankly, if you pull out radicalism from Antioch’s culture, if you try to tame the wild forces that make it the unique place it is, these very forces that Steve Lawry dismisses as “corrosive to a learning environment�?, and shift our culture from libertarian to merely liberal, then I might just as well move to any other neutral, mainstream college that at least has available Russian literature classes and dorms free of toxic mold! So why does the president seem so positively set upon taming Antioch’s culture a top priority? How does marketing and prospecting for new students fit into this logic? Two possibilities come to mind: either Antioch’s radicalism bothers President Lawry on a personal, ethical level, or he is genuinely concerned with our low retention rate and candidly believes the complaints he has received from discontented transferring students. If it were the case, all would come down to the mission statement, the core identity of the college. Is Antioch for everyone? No! But this answer isn’t as blinkered or elitist as it seems, for it is not based on superficial labeling of someone’s beliefs or identity, but on her ability to deal with our challenging them. In the majority of cases, I think, we are not saying: “Conservatives go home�? or any kind of “if you don’t think like us, go away.�? What we are saying is this: “We are a bunch of committed, passionate people, and our politics are part of our profound identities, so we will not be afraid to defend them and to confront you about yours.�? And maybe not everyone is up to endure this kind of dynamics, which demands perpetual reconsideration of one’s beliefs and the ability to defend them. In this way, and in this way only, is Antioch not for everyone.

During his Monday lunch with first years, Steve Lawry cited the case of a student who dropped out because of his Nike sneakers being vandalized by some Antiochian extremists. He presented it as an example of radicalism being “corrosive�? to the community and the kind of attitude he was determined to make disappear. This might look like a reasonable demand, considering that you don’t believe in the use of violent means in ideological struggles, (it is not necessarily the case— and although this might not be the point here, I believe it would still be good to acknowledge it), but it is not something to be enforced from the top-down. Imagine that I knowingly chose to go to a conservative college; I would stand in the minority on an infinite number of issues and I would face different kind of pressures—in a variety of degrees of violence. Would I still call the school president to complain because people have attacked my anarchist beliefs? Would I expect him to start a campus-wide campaign to promote ideological tolerance? Of course not. But because at Antioch the voice coming from the flock is that of the minority position, it changes everything. It seems threatening to the average person who isn’t used to it being expressed freely, who isn’t used to living in a place where our alternative realities are considered the norm. So any judgment, censure or condemnation of the means we use to fight for our minority positions is up to us as a community, and to us only. Bottom-up is the only healthy approach. And, of course, we will be hearing about the threat of physical violence as a latent upshot of too much libertarianism and as an argument for more control and censure. But we all know where instrumentation of people’s fears lead to, don’t we?…

A top-down attempt to transform any pre-established culture anywhere is not only dictatorial and oppressive it is also absolutely impossible. The only way Steve Lawry can succeed is by gradually phasing out Antiochians and replace them with the mainstream, tamed, innocuous students he wishes populated this college. Only by screening entering students at the source, in Admissions, can he ever obtain his dream student body. But that’s not us. Like ungrateful brats quintessentially incapable to please our exacting parents, we’ll never be up to fulfill our president’s expectations. Should we sigh in relief? No, because even if our identities are untouchable at the core, our freedom to express them in the open is likely to be increasingly jeopardized by the administration’s attempts to sanitize the campus.

“Antioch-this is/Your chance to come together/To unite and fight�? reads a Haiku Declassified in last week’s Record. The idea that an ideological battle between part of the administration and Antiochians has started is slowly making its way to the stratum of first-year students. I am part of it, and ready to meet the challenge. Are you?

Dapper, Posh Partiers Get Down at Black and Tan

By the Cooperative Council for a Non-Wack Social Scene

Photos By Nicole Bayani

I never went to prom, and I’m ok with that. More now than ever, seeing as I can someday reflect back upon last Tuesday night’s Black and Tan party and let it fill the hole in my heart left by my premature flight from my high schools hallowed halls. Would prom have served tasty Black and Tans, or been open to the kind of experimental fashion technology showcased at last Tuesday night’s party? I think not. Birch space was sauna hot and sex seeped from the dimmed ceiling lights as classily clad co-eds lubed up each others formal wear with homage’s to Dirty Dancing, and Justin Timberlake’s “Sexy Back�? video. Noteworthy dance pairing Barefoot Frank and first year Bethany were seen participating in some sort twisted collegiate hippy mating ritual which involved theatrical interpretive dance, and the little mermaid. I personally am seeking counseling to help expedite the healing process, as Coolio once wisely sung “Too hot. Too hot baby.�?

The fashion bar was raised, as Antioch students busted out their Sunday best. Some memorable America’s Next Top Model hopefuls were fourth-year Kendlin, who looked something like an empowered Stepford Wife in vintage red and white skirt-suit, Whitney Stark filling in my prom queen fantasies in vintage homecoming court couture later remarked of the event “ The Party was sloppy.�? Morgan Realegaño appeared incognito for the evening, first as an awkward bearded fat man, and later as Megan Homewood. Contrary to Relegaño’s repeated claims, Luke Brennan appeared quite dapper, not at all a “two-bit man in a one-bit suit�?. Lauren Hind, in awards show host fashion was spotted in no less than 3 different outfits, when she wasn’t sprinting up and down the stairs from the commons to her dorm room for fashion rehab, she was spotted dancing fervently with Mariel Traiman, who really enjoyed it by the way… to bad Lauren had to cut the party short to go have a conversation with a toilet bowl.

First years were out in droves, and out to impress- Shea Witzo looked remarkable, and made an amicable dance partner with her assertive gyrations. Emma Emmerich looked wicked hot in polka dots as she was spotted dancing up a storm with Daniel McCurdy, who dressed as Rod Stewart for the event. Kelly Ahrens was quoted as saying of the night “It lead to interesting events…�? with a distant and nostalgic look in her eyes, where as Jayne had a different and uplifting spin on the evening “ I was happy, it was good and healing. Lots of people together can be good.�? I want to send out the following PSA inspired by a first year student who wished to remain anonymous who confided the following to me: “I don’t know if I can handle the pressure, I didn’t know I’d need so many outfits, I think I have to transfer to a regular school.�? Don’t worry kids- if all else fails, just wear your unders.

Black and Tan raised the bar for dance theatrics, leaving eyebrows quirked and gossipy drunken text messages scrawled across LCD screens. Marissa Fisher wanted to voice the following plea to the community “A little less ‘Cowabunga’ a little more chumbawumba.�? And 2nd year transfer Mariel Traiman wished to send out an apology. “ I may have been a little out of hand… you see my hips don’t lie. There were some gratuitous levels of dance floor near fucking that maybe weren’t in the best taste, I guess I watched too many Prince videos when I was a kid… fuck it. I had a great time, I got to make out.�? Her dance partner for the evening Erin Cisewski had a different, more wholesome take on things

“The best part of the evening was when I turned around and all of a sudden Ryan Clover-Owens just appeared, we started spinning and dancing, it was so fun. I cringe to think how many people were dancing barefoot in my spilled Gin and Tonic. I promise next time Mariel and I will have practiced our Johnny Castle, and Baby moves a little more before the party. I was going to transfer, but now after partying in Birch space, I have something to look forward to for the next three years.�? On a more serious note Lauren Hind wished to express the following: “Whoever kicked down my bathroom stall door will be trampled by the hooves of 1,000 horses. Prepare to run or get out your screwdriver and fix it!!�?

An interesting component of the night’s goings on was the cage match competitive crowning of “Best Dressed�?. The award went to a denim clad mystery woman who looked remarkably like our own Wendy- Lynn Zeldin, who was tragically M.I.A. for the evening. I’d like to use this venue to write a poem to said mystery woman:

Though I don’t know your name, political leanings, or dietary concerns- I know that the sight of you in that smokin’ jumpsuit has turned this jaded cynic into an art critic, baby you’re fine like the lite-brite sunsets my fumbling fingers could never replicate. When global temperature rises, I’ll know it’s not greenhouse gasses but your ass… assets that is, because you remind me of fresh greens, roller derby queens, rompin’ through corn fields, and hazy mid-western days when you know every things going to be ok… want to split a bottle of wine and talk love sometime?

Black and Tan… That was more like it, shout out to the events crew for once again turning fantasy into reality by creating a venue for droves of awkward Antiochians to seizure slide across a dance floor of broken dreams, and new hope resurrected. If we get nothing else from our college career we will always have the pulse pounding flirtation ritual that is an Antioch dance party. When your eyes meet across that crowded floor, and lips get bit, winks get exchanged and futures get written in the stars, you know you are truly alive. When hydration is provided by tasty (and well mixed, thanks Kelly!) gin and tonics which strip you of your inhibitions, and create endless avenues of self expression and opportunities for assof- one-self making… you know you have a purpose, and that purpose is- to dance, or find someone to make out with, whatever your into. I’d like to end this weeks article with a personal anecdote; about 3 years ago, this reporter braved the highways between Colorado and Ohio with thumb out optimism, and a head full of tales of the wonders of Antioch to visit a friend. I arrived and was invited to attend a pajama party. I went dressed modestly in pajama pants, and hiking boots and was immediately met with sensory overload. Everywhere I looked there were scantily clad strangers dancing with uninhibited and awe inspiring passion, I could only stare awkwardly and wonder if I could ever be a part of such a wild, and undiluted community of beautiful wack-job individuals- and now here I am, and I can only hope my ample ass shaking will someday inspire some cute young wallflower to grab life by the ovaries and remember- there is nothing to be shy about. Yeah Antioch community, keep on keeping on. Ya’ll are hot.

Space: The Final Frontier

by Marjorie Jensen

Recently, Antioch’s administration has pushed for marketing our radical institution to the rich, white, straight population. While I am not totally opposed to the concept of hegemony, I believe that mainstreaming Antioch will corrupt the integrity of the college. For me, and many other students, Antioch is a place where we can be queer, alternative and revolutionary. It is our space.

Why is the concept of exclusive space so important? With a few notable exceptions (like San Francisco, neighborhoods in New York and Miami, and, of course, Boystown in Chicago) most of America is run by and for the population that the administration is working to attract. Their privilege includes having the vast majority of the power and money. They take up most of the space.

Before we come to Antioch, and after we graduate, minorities of all kinds are caught in a world where we are condemned, segregated and threatened. All we are asking for are four years (actually less, because of the time spent on co-op) in a place just for us. A liberal haven where we don’t have be subjected to the kind of discrimination that has dominated our lives. We just want a little space. I’ll give you an example. After spending a wonderful afternoon in Boystown shopping for a new vibrator, I had to work the late shift at Jimmy John’s. At 4:30am, a group of young, drunk, white, rich men filled the store. Gathering by my register, they decided to call each other “gay,�? throwing the term around in a derogatory manner, contaminating the space.

I’m not sure exactly when the phenomenon of using the term “gay�? as synonymous with “stupid�? or “lame�? began. All I know for certain is that it is still prevalent among the demographic that the administration is trying to attract. Why bring people with this attitude to Antioch? We have more than enough experience with this brand of ignorance. Why can’t we keep our space?

Now, perhaps I am showing my escapist colors. The point of claiming space, however, is not an escapist concept. Giving us the opportunity to commiserate, empathize and discuss the problems we have encountered in the “real world�? is a way for us to “win victories for humanity.�? For a very limited amount of time, we can bond over our collective pain in a space that is safe and positive.

Another example: when I was working as a freelance journalist in California, I was covering the Marriage Equality Act passing in the Assembly and Senate (it was later vetoed by Arnold the “discriminator�?). I contacted Equality California, a major player in the campaign. Not surprisingly, an Antioch alum worked there and got me an interview with the Deputy Director of Marriage Equality USA.

This speaks to the connections that can be formed at Antioch in the queer community (or any alternative community) that will help us improve the “real world.�? Antioch has historically been a breeding ground for revolutionaries. This is, in large part, due to giving us the space to meet, study, play and work with likeminded people.

I feel peaceful hegemony is a utopia beyond Antioch’s reach. Asking for less confrontation and working for mainstreaming is counter-productive. Actively recruiting people with privilege is going to lead to more confrontation. They have more to deconstruct in themselves in order to recognize the problems in society. Antioch is going to be, inherently, a confrontational space.

The way to achieve a less confrontational atmosphere is to recruit more minorities. Most colleges offer a homogenized, mainstreamed culture. Antioch is unique in our population of “others.�? We experience a freedom of expression that many have never encountered before, and may never again. For the first time (and possibly the last) we have a space where we can be ourselves.

I understand Antioch is struggling. I know we need higher enrollment numbers and a far greater retention rate. But we are not going to achieve these goals by disillusioning those who come to Antioch. People search for a place where they will “belong.�? Antioch promises to be that space for the radicals, the outcasts, the revolutionaries and the minorities.

The desire for our own space is not intolerance. We are not discriminating against anyone. There is no such thing as reverse prejudice. Asking for a little liberal haven does not impinge on the privilege that the majority enjoys. They have the world. Please don’t take what little space we have away from us. Antioch is the final frontier.

Street Fair was Fair

by Charles Arthur

How about a little Street Fair talk? What can I say? We’ve done it again. First of all, I’d like to thank Foster for participating in the B-Boy/ African Drum and Rhythm workshop. I would also like to thank Private Pile and Cory for playing as well. Next, I’d like to thank the dancers that took time and energy to fulfill the workshop. Last, I’d like to thank you, the people, and the kids especially, for attending. The weather was fair. People were walking up and down Xenia Avenue and Cory Street. Vendors did their best to increase sales. Good food spread all around downtown Yellow Springs. These are my thoughts as I arrived carrying two drums and a book. My phone rang like crazy up until 3:30pm. Had I known that we were going to have children doing cartwheels and handstands, perhaps I would have requested to start at an earlier time. But whatever.

Now, in order to build a civilization, there are several things that need to be addressed.

1.) Do I have the tools? (Meaning knowledge)
2.) Do I have the numbers? (The people)
3.) Do I have the health?
4.) Do I have the capital?

Stay with me. The civilization symbolizes a nation of educated students embarking on better ways to entertain, educate, evolve, and preserve community.

I have dedicated my life for such moments as these. We were in front of the bank, surrounded by crowds off people that were educated on our culture. Some people had no idea such cultures existed.

To prove a point, it was the children that could dance as if no one was looking. It was the children that were innocent. It’s the children’s innocence we live preserve. It’s not money’s capital we need the most, it’s the spirit’s capital. It’s the spirit of togetherness before anything else. The people are the numbers we need internationally to merge like we do at Street Fairs, Black and Tans, C-Shops, Malls, name it.

Let’s continue to build. Success will surely follow. Civilizations will by strong. Music will by inspiration. Drums will move millions and millions will come together thus making one huge Street Fair. This is Charles Arthur.

Letter from Laura Hind

Dearest Community,

Last week an extended member of the community wrote in the Record about the insular nature of this campus, how isolated we are in our ideas, our values, and our actions. When I first read the letter, I was defensive; I thought, “How could they possibly know what it’s like?�? And then in my head, I tried to refute their claim, dissecting the ways in which we do care about other things beside ourselves. But I’m not one who says we need to focus on greater world problems, ignore the ones in our own lives…I think it’s cheesy, but that phrase, you gotta work on your community first in order to change the greater structure, really fits. But what doesn’t fit here -at Antioch- is the ways in which we “work�? on our community, but you all probably knew that. We easily become reactionary when it comes to fixing our problems (that includes that administration, students, etc. everyone!). When I see that one of the bathroom stalls in my hall was kicked down from last night’s party, I get angry and immediately want to point fingers and find some kind of public way to shame the person who did it. We all know that scenario too well; it was replayed in community meeting yesterday after a piano was smashed. I guess what I’m getting at is all too simple but seemingly much too hard. We need to work on more longterm goals to challenge systemic problems. So, the whole “cowboys and Indians�? party controversy – it needs to be addressed with a deeper vision and commitment of an anti-racist education. Allen G. Johnson was a start, but please, let’s put our egos aside, and find places to inject “our values�? in the structure of this community. Culture only exists in practice and we need to practice everyday. I am inspired everyday here, and I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves of those good things and continue to bring this education and dialog into a greater context. Creativity is key. We are all creative. Thanks for reading this corny attempt to communicate.

Much Love,
~Lauren Hind